MADD Canada presented its Team Nick Coates Awards to 14 police officers today for their work to take impaired drivers off provincial roads and highways.

This year’s awards honour five officers from the RNC and nine officers from the RCMP.

“For every impaired driver these officers take off the roads, it is a potential tragedy averted. It means a family may not have to mourn a loved one,” said MADD Canada National President Tanya Hansen Pratt. “MADD Canada offers our heartfelt and lasting gratitude to them, they are making our roads and communities safer with their efforts.”

MADD Canada established the Team Nick Coates Awards in 2019 to recognize police officers for their efforts to detect and apprehend impaired drivers. Officers who have taken a minimum of 12 impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Gold Award. Officers who have taken at least eight impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Silver Award. Officers also receive certificates and special challenge coins. (Charges/sanctions are based on Criminal Code investigations or 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition program sanctions.)

The award is named in honour of Nick Coates, who was killed by an impaired driver in August of 2013. Nick was riding his motorcycle back from a work meeting when he was hit by a pick-up truck driven by a man who had been drinking the night before and the morning of the crash. Just 27 years old, Nick was working his dream job as a civil engineer and was engaged to be married.

Awards were presented to:

2023/2024 RNC Recipients

Cst. Michael Burton – Silver
Cst. Shane McClafferty – Silver
Cst. Kyle Morrissey – Silver
Cst. Geoffrey Heffernan – Gold
Cst. Cody Langmead – Gold

2023/2024 RCMP Recipients

Cst. David Ballard – Silver
Cst. Jean-Francois Gagnon – Silver
Cst. Jarrett Thorne – Silver
Cst. Adam Graham – Gold
Cst. Bradley Layman – Gold
Cst. Mackenzie McCoy – Gold
Cst. Caleb Pellerin – Gold
Cst. Janet Reddy – Gold
Cpl. Dennis Thornhill – Gold

The Top Performer Award was presented to Cst. Geoffrey Heffernan from the RNC, and Cst. Caleb Pellerin from the RCMP for achieving the highest number of charges and sanctions for their respective police services.